1. Fine Arts
   • Course Description
   • Course & Training
   • Job Avenues
   • Fine Arts Colleges in Kerala
   • Job Avenues
   • Eligibility
2. Kerala Kalamandalam
   • Address for communication
   • Admission
   • Medium of Communication
   • Structure of Course
   • Deadlines for Application
   • Possibilities of Financial Assistance
   • Academic Structure
   • Crash Courses
3. Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy
4. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy
5. Institute of Mural Painting
   • Admission Procedure
   • Institutions & Courses in Fine Arts

The spectacular world of Fine Arts and Performing Arts opens before us a wide horizon of job opportunities. The aspirants should have a keen sense of rhythm and music. They should have a certain amount of inborn talent and aptitude in order to become successful in this field. This field demands creative imagination and inventive faculties. This is a wide area, which is broadly divided into Fine Arts and Applied Arts. Fine arts express the pure creative genius that is intended to satisfy the need for self expression.

Fine Arts

Dance and Music is now considered as a booming career option all over the world classical dance, folk dance and modern dance are the three main forms of dance prevalent today. Performing arts need talented and creative people who have patience and dedication. Adaptability to working situations, pragmatism in working with a team, discipline in character and responsibility to the job are other essential characteristic for a budding artist in this field. A good memory power, clear voice modulations and the ability to express emotions are also considered as an added advantage. Courses in acting, drama, music and dance are offered to all age group. Between the age group of 9 to 14, various foundation courses are there. From age group 13, various advanced courses are there like Diploma and Degree. Between the age group of 19-26, Post Graduate courses can be done.

Course Description

The field of Fine Arts opens up new prospects for the people with creative mind, sense of form and colours, incessant flow of fresh ideas, keens observation, dedication and patience. Fine arts include drawing, painting and sculpture. Most artists choose to keep their talent alive but alongside take up another career, since there are very few options open where pure painting and sculpture work is concerned. Artists today with to use their skills in other areas such as commercial art, which is relatively more popular.

Course & Training

There are a large number of fine arts courses offered at the certificate, diploma and degree level at a number of institutions in the country. The courses have become more challenging and diverse involving textile designing etc. making the career very inviting. Training in commercial art is given in various schools and is often associated with Fine Arts. The certificates diploma is of a varying duration of 1-5 years. The degree course B.FA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) is open to those who have passed the 12th standard with any of the optional subjects, provided they should have an aptitude for Fine Arts to be demonstrated in two part test. The test is common to all B.FA candidates specialized in drawing and painting, sculpture or applied art. The aptitude test comprises of (i) study from life face a human model to be drawn in pencil and (ii) water colour painting based on a given subject.

Job Avenues

There are many job opportunities awaiting the trained candidates in this field. Those areas include advertisement agencies, creative cell of textile, newspapers and journals, film making, video productions,animations, interior decoration and consultancies, defense services, tourism ,leather and ceramic companies, packaging industry etc.

Students who have completed 10 + 2 can enroll for 4 year BFA course

Kerala Kalamandalam: (Centre for Indian Performing Arts And Culture)

Kerala Kalamandalam, a distinguished centre of excellence in Performing Arts, Spearheaded the movement of renaissance cultural in Kerala. Established in 1930, the beautiful campus for performing arts seeped in classical music and dance, lies near the majestic River Nila in the village of Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district. The ancient Gurukula system of education continues to be a living tradition in this school, which has over the years become a significant milestone in the cultural history of Kerala. Kalamandalam is invariably the best institution in India imparting training and conducting performance of Kathakali, Mohiniyattom, Panchavadyam and Thullal. Beside the regular courses Kalamandalam also offers crash courses in different art disciplines. The basic aim of all these crash courses is to help theatre artists, classical and contemporary dancers, researchers, art historians and scholars from the East and the West who come to the land to familiarize with the performing art forms. Besides the academic programes the kalamandalam troupe consists of renowned artists of various art forms,conduct performance of all the above act forms on request. For more details log on to www.Kalamandalam.com

Address for communication:

Kerala Kalamandalam
Cheruthuruthy Post     
Thrissur District 
Kerala – 679 531
Tel + 91 – 488 – 462418
Fax +91 -488 – 462019

Admission

Since its inception, Kalamandalam has attracted theater-artists, classical and contemporary dancers, researchers, art-historians and scholars of related interests from different parts of the world. Kalamandalam offers specially designed introductory courses in all aspects of Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Mohiniyattam and the vocal and instrumental modes of classical music,Training will expose individuals to the diverse performance traditions in Kerala. These courses are developed according to the needs and experience of the student and are of variable duration, intensity and credits. Clearing a test or course in functional Malayalam/orSanskrit-cum- Prakrit may be prescribed as a pre-requisite to joining or completing an art course, on the basis of the objectives and competence of each learner. The credits acquired in Kerala Kalamandalam may be officially reported to other institutions, if requested for.

Medium of Communication
The medium of communication between the trainee and the trainer is non-technical English or functional Malayalam encouraged to be mastered by all senior students and verbal communication is appropriately complemented by the body-language including simple gestures as well as mudras (symbolic hand gestures) which go into the core of what the sage Bharata has termed the aamgika aspect of abhinaya (acting).

Structure of Course

The art courses are structured in such a way that the learner will acquire the basic of the subject in the shortest possible time. In the beginning of the program an expert teacher will specially coach the learner every working day for about two hours. When sufficiently experienced, in due course, the training for the foreign student will be in the kalari along with that for the regular native students. Moving to intermediate and advanced lessons is permissible only on successful completion of training at earlier stages of study.

Deadlines for Application

Courses of study in Kalamandalam are in full swing usually from June 1 through March 31. The summer vacation is from April 1 through May 31. The academic programs for foreign students are, in general, tailor made, to suite the requirements of each learner and as such no deadline for receipt of application for admission is fixed. It is also possible to arrange a special training program under a veteran artist recognized by Kalamandalam, who  might not be currently on the faculty of this institutions, but will be appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Kalamandalam, for organizing the program as per the regulations. Early application leaving sufficient time for correspondence is recommended.

Possibilities of Financial Assistance

Departments of related interests in Universities all over the world and departments of culture and education as well as cultural or educational exchange programs of several countries and also institutions in India like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Indo-Shastri Canadian Institute,the NCERT and the American Institute of Indian studies, New Delhi have duly recognized Keralakalamandalam as a prestigious seat of learning to which students and researchers are deputed with financial assistance for receiving first  hand exposure or intensive training. The above are the obvious sources of possible sponsorship in foreign students intending to seek admission to a course of study/research at Keralakalamandalam.

Crash Courses

Kalamandalam ever since its inception, has been attracting theatre-artists, classical and contemporary dancers, researchers, art-historians and scholars from the east and the west alike . In order to help them familiarize with the diverse performance traditions taught at Kalamandalam we offer crash courses in Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Mohiniyattam, and vocal music and in the various percussion instruments. These courses are for a minimum period of three months to a maximum period of two years. Students selected by the Indian council for Cultural Relations, Government of India, New Delhi under the International Cultural Exchange Programs and self financing students from other Asian countries, Europe, Australia, the US and Canada reach Kalamandalm and undergo training in various disciplines. Communication between the teachers and the foreign students is mostly through ‘mudras’ (hand gestures). English is used for facilitating long conversations and discussions if needed.

       The student joining for this course can learn the basics of the subject he/she chooses for training. An expert teacher in the concerned faculty will give special training to the student every working day for around two hours. Later on he/she can join the regular students for exercise. After a periodic assessment of his/her study the teacher will move to advanced lessons. No student is allowed to join for more than one course at a time. The amount of tuition fee and admission fee will be revised every year. For all students of foreign origin Student Visa is a must for admission in Kalamandalam. They should also produce a No AIDS Certificate at the time of joining the institution. All those interested in the crash course shall submit their application in plain paper along with their complete bio-data.

Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy

This was established in 1962, the aim of the Academy is to promote the sculpture, painting and visual arts.

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy

It is also located in town and was established on April 12, 1938, its aim is to foster and develop Kerala Dance, Drama and Music and to promote through the cultural unity of Kerala. It works in close collaboration with the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy in New Delhi for the enrichment of Indian Culture. A regional theatre is constructed in Thrissur with all modern facilities. The world of music has undergone revolutionary changes that to the emergence of electronic media. Those who have completed scientific training in music will get placements in the field of album/video making, music journalism, background music in film, advertising etc. Institutes which offer training in music are the following in Kerala

• Maharaja’s College Ernakulam

 Phone: 0484 – 2352838 – BA Music

• Government College Chittor

 Phone: 2324986

• Swathi Thirunal Memorial Government College of Music, TVM

• NSS College for women, Neeramankara, TVM

 Phone: 24490548 – B.A.Music

• School of Drama and Fine Arts, University of Calicut Aranattukara, Trichur M.A, Ph.D Music

Institute of Mural Painting

An institute for the traditional Kerala mural painting at Kizhakke Nada of Guruvayur Temple gives coaching as Mural painting in the traditional gurukula pattern. It is started under the Guruvayur Deveswom in the month of July 1989, which provides five years National Diploma Course in Fine Arts.
National Institute of Design, Ahamedabad offers a 4 yrs school leaver’s professional education programs, Eligibility: 10 + 2. Specialization offered in MFA includes painting plastic arts, applied art, ceramic and pottery design, textile design, graphic arts etc. The National Museum, New Delhi offers MA in conservation and restoration of works of art to MFA graduates. There are many colleges in Kerala offering degree/diploma courses in Fine Arts and Applied Arts.

Admission Procedure

Admission is given to those who have passed 8th class, and several Scholarships are given by the department of Culture (Under Human Resource Development) to deserving candidates, after completing 5 years, a certificate AHSLC (Arts High School Leaving Certificate) is given.

Institutions & Courses in Fine Arts

• Sur J.J. Institute of Applied Arts D.N.Road, Mumbai
• University of Bombay For, Mumbai – 400032
• Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University of Baroda, Baroda – 390002 (B.FA/MFA)
• Kerala Bhavan, Viswabharati, Shantiniketan – 731 235 (B.F.A, Graphic Art Designing)
• Jarnia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi – 110 025
• College of Arts, New Delhi – 110 001
• National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House, New Delhi
• Faculty of Fine Arts, Benaras Hindu University, Beneras
• Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai – 600 003
• Punjab University Sector 14, Chandigarh – 160 014
• College of Arts, Sector 14, Chandigarh – 160 014
• Goa College of Arts, Altinho, Fanaji, Goa (BFA – Painting & Applied Art)
• College of fine Arts, Bangalore – 560001
• Banasthali Vidyapith, Bangalore – 560001
• Govt College of Arts & Crafts, Ghauhati University B.F.A
• Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata
• Faculties of Arts & Fine Arts, Rabindra Bharin University, Kolkata
• College of Arts & Crafts, Lucknow
• University of Rajasthan Gandhi Nagar, Jaipur – 302 004 
• Rajasthan School of Arts, Jaipur
• North Maharashtra University, Post Box No. 80, Jalgaon – 425 001
• Nagpur University Nagpur – 440 001
• University of Mysore Grawford Hall Mysore 570 005
• Karnataka University Pavate Nagar, Dhamvad – 580 003
• University of Jammu, Jammu – 180 004
• Andhra University Visakhapattnam – 530 003
• Government College of Fine Arts & Architecture, Hyderabad
• Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad – 500 028 (B.F.A)
• Central School of Arts and Crafts, Andhra Pradesh
• Faculty of Fine Arts & Crafts, Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur
• C.N.College of Fine Arts, Ahmedabad
• Imphal Arts College, Imphal
• National Institute of Design, Paldi, Ahmedabad
• Imphal Arts College, Imphal
• National Institure of Design, Paldi, Ahmedabad – 380007 (A 30 month programme in Animation Film Design for those who have a B.FA degree)
• Karnataka Chittakala Parishath Fine Arts College, Bangalore (BFA)